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Fee Status Procedure

As a student registered at UCL, you are required to pay the fee appropriate to your programme of study and to your status as a UK, EU, Overseas or Channel Islands/Isle of Man student. Your fee status is determined in accordance with the Education (Fees and Awards) (England) Regulations 2007 (SI 2007, No. 779) and subsequent amendments, as approved by Act of Parliament. To be eligible to pay fees at the UK/EU rate, you must normally be a national of a European Union (EU) country, or the relevant family member of an EU national, and have been ordinarily resident within the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of the programme.

This is calculated as below:

Start Date of Programme between

First day of the first academic year of the programme

1st August and 31st December

1st September

1st January and 31st March

1st January

1st April and 30th June

1st April

1st July and 31st July

1st July

Alternatively, if you are a non-EU national, you must have been ordinarily resident in the UK for a similar period and have settled status in this country by the end of that period of time. In either circumstance, if the purpose of your ordinary residence in the EEA/UK/Switzerland has been wholly or mainly to receive full-time education, you will be ineligible for UK/EU fee status. In both instances, absences in connection with temporary employment are permitted.

In addition, a number of additional categories of student are eligible to pay fees at the UK/EU rate including the children of Swiss nationals and Turkish workers who meet the residency requirements. In the case of children of Swiss nationals, they must have taken up residency in the UK by the first day of the first academic year of the programme. In certain circumstances residence in the Overseas Territories is permitted. You may obtain further details from Admissions in the Registry, by consulting the Regulations or obtain independent advice from UKCISA: The UK Council for International Student Affairs.

The assessment of fee status is communicated on UCL's formal offer of admission. By accepting UCL's offer of admission an applicant agrees to pay the fees outlined in UCL's offer. In cases where an assessment of fee status has not been possible, or if the assessment is being queried, a fee status questionnaire is sent to the applicant/student. This must be returned within three months. Failure to return the questionnaire or provide any requested documentation will result in an applicant/student being classified as Overseas for fee purposes. The following UCL departments are responsible for making the assessment:

Applicants for undergraduate study - Relevant Faculty Office

Current students and applicants for graduate study - Admissions, Registry and Academic Services

Once UCL gives its definitive assessment, applicants/students have three months to appeal in writing. Appeals are handled by the Head of Outreach and Admissions. The final right of appeal is to the Director of Registry and Academic Services and must be made within three months of the initial appeal decision.

If fee status is undetermined at the start of a student's studies, UCL policy is to invoice at the Overseas fee rate. Should a student subsequently be re-assessed as eligible for UK or EU fees, the appropriate refund of fees would be made.

UCL's fee status assessment remains in place for the duration of the programme with the exception of the following circumstances:

The student or a relevant family member obtains EU nationality and the student has been ordinarily resident in the EEA or Switzerland for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of the programme.

The country of which a student is a national accedes to the European Union and the student has been ordinarily resident in the EEA or Switzerland for the three year period before the first day of the first academic year of the programme.

The student their spouse/civil partner, parent or parent of spouse/civil partner obtains refugee status or humanitarian protection following an asylum application. This status must be obtained in the UK.** Additional restrictions apply in the case of a student who is seeking UK fee status as the spouse/civil partner, child or child of spouse/civil partner, refer to the Regulations.

Please contact Admissions immediately if you believe you fall into one of these categories so that a review of your fee status can be made.

If you are eligible to have your fee status reassessed whilst studying at UCL this will be from the start of your next academic year, not from the start of your programme.